Have we ever imagined what the condition of Indonesia's seas was like during the Covid-19 pandemic?
World Ocean Day is celebrated every June 8. Although more than half of Indonesia's territory is sea, the commemoration of World Ocean Day seems to be still not very popular.
Carrying the theme The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods, the sea day in Indonesia is represented as the ocean as life and the source of life for all creatures. This theme was taken by the UN because the sea covers more than 70 percent of the planet earth.
Indonesia is a country with the largest marine potential in the world. It has more than 16,056 islands with the longest coastline of more than 99,000 KM (data from the Geospatial Information Agency).
Indonesia, which also has the largest coral reef area in Southeast Asia, is now facing the threat of increasingly serious damage to marine ecosystems due to large-scale exploitation by human activities such as overfishing which is still happening, widespread damage to mangrove and seagrass ecosystems due to conversion, and endless pollution and waste.
Before this serious problem was resolved, another problem emerged due to the Covid-19 pandemic and had an impact on the government's plan to handle plastic waste in the sea.
What impact has the pandemic had on marine ecosystems?
Before the Covid-19 pandemic hit almost every corner of the world, there had been many reports of various animals eating or getting entangled in plastic waste in the sea. The animals eventually died because the plastic clogged their digestive or respiratory systems. The waste was also found covering the substrate of mangrove forests, seagrass or coral reefs, thus inhibiting the growth and development of marine biota.
Based on a survey conducted by the LIPI Team in mid-2020, it revealed the fact that the implementation of Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) has an impact on the increasing use of plastic as online shopping packaging. Online shopping activities have become a new pattern for people to meet their needs at this time, because they are considered effective in breaking the chain of Covid-19 compared to physical shopping during the PSBB period. Likewise with the use of food delivery services via online transportation services. In fact, 96% of packages are wrapped in thick plastic and added with bubble wrap. Tape, plastic wrap, and bubble wrap is the most commonly found plastic packaging. bubble wrap merupakan pembungkus berbahan plastik yang paling sering ditemukan.
Still in mid-2020, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry stated that the total medical waste which is in the B3 category (Hazardous and Toxic Materials) and household waste from handling Covid-19 in Indonesia has now reached 1,100 tons. Most of the waste was found in the Sea.
Responding to this, FMIPA UI marine expert Dr. Mufti Petala Patria said that single-use plastic packaging as online shopping wrappers certainly has an impact on increasing the volume of waste in the sea, and will worsen the condition of marine biota. This is because plastic waste will sooner or later degrade into microplastics. Microplastics can damage the food web system of marine animals that are usually consumed by humans.
"Plastic that has been degraded into small sizes (<5 mm) known as microplastics. Microplastics can enter the food web system of marine animals including plankton which is fish food. The danger is when plankton is eaten by fish that are usually consumed by humans. Later, microplastics will accumulate in the body of the fish and enter the human body tissue", he said to the FMIPA UI public relations team.
Now, not only plastic packaging, but disposable masks that are currently mandatory for everyone to wear as a preventive measure against the spread of Covid are also made of synthetic materials in the form of polyester fiber. These masks will certainly be thrown away as waste, and add to the burden of environmental pollution. Another concern arises if the mask waste has brought along pathogenic microorganisms that stick to it, and releases hazardous additives into the aquatic ecosystem.
Solutions for Overcoming Plastic Waste and Masks
To prevent marine pollution, Dr. Mufti recommends that the public minimize the use of single-use plastic, and re-manage plastic waste into other products that have economic value and are useful.
Meanwhile, for mask waste, it can be burned with the right technology and methods so as not to cause air pollution.
"It is necessary to reprocess plastic waste into other products. For mask or plastic waste that can no longer be used, it can be burned with good technology, so that it does not cause air pollution," said Dr. Mufti.
